


welcome to goodneighbor

by sianykins07



Category: Fallout 4
Genre: Drinking, Explicit Language, F/M, Flirting, Slow Burn, Stabbing, Swearing
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-02-08
Updated: 2017-03-17
Packaged: 2018-05-19 05:16:29
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,631
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5955022
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sianykins07/pseuds/sianykins07
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Hancock encounters Sole for the first time and they share a flirtatious exchange. As charismatic as he is, she gives him a run for his money.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Welcome Committee

Hancock slumped against the wall of The State House and pulled his hat over his eyes. It had been a long night, the Third Rail packed more of a wallop than he remembered. It had been at least a solid week since his last proper bender seeing as the mayoral duties had piled up, and once the workload was clear it had been time to blow off some steam. He barely remembered how he got home, much less how he managed to get himself half undressed. He just assumed he got halfway through before giving up and passing out. Rubbing the back of his neck he crooked it to both sides which rewarded him with a satisfying crack each time. As he tried to stretch the ache out he spotted Fahrenheit walking out of Daisy’s. “Bite me you pre-war trout!” she spat and flipped the bird over her shoulder as she stormed over to Hancock. He glared at her and a growl rumbled in his throat. “So it wasn’t enough grinding this headache further into my skull you gotta antagonise Daisy’s too?” Fahrenheit slumped against the wall opposite him. “She’s bein’ a bitch again.” She folded her arms and glared at Hancock who let out a sigh. He was tired with this futile ongoing beef they seemed to have with each other, they just seemed to get under each others skin constantly for no apparent reason – he had long since given up figuring out why. Reaching into one of the pockets of his duster he pulled out a packet of grey tortoise and a flip lighter. He ran his scarred thumb over the engraving while pulling a cigarette out with his teeth before setting the other end ablaze. He took a long deep draw.

 

“Dammit Fahr, I dunno why you two gotta keep this up.” As he licked his dry lips and flicked the ash she snarled at him. “Why you always gotta take her side Hancock?!” There was a trace of hurt in her tone, but Hancock wasn’t about to bite. “You know fine well I’m takin’ no one’s side sister,” he took another long draw and slowly exhaled, “but cut that shit out before I find myself a new bodyguard who isn’t constantly rubbing people up the wrong way.” This was obviously an empty threat. He had no intention of giving her the boot, she was way too proficient to just cut her loose, but she definitely needed brought back down to earth sometimes and she always fell for it. He flicked his cigarette butt off to the side and pushed his hat up to stare her down. She glared back at him defiantly but her stern look quickly faded and her gaze faltered. “Sorry boss.” He sighed and offered her a cigarette which she took, nodding her head appreciatively. “So you gonna tell me what you two ladies were arguing about this time?” He pulled out another himself and cupped his gnarled hand around the flame before flipping the lighter shut and stuffing it back into his inside pocket. Fahrenheit grumbled, he could tell she was thinking up which lie would be more convincing. “The _truth_ Fahr.” He was pretty good at being able to tell these days and now she knew better than to try her luck. “OK  _fine._ She was bitching me out for last night.” Hancock raised an eyebrow – or at least that part of his face. “What, for us drinking? I told her –“ “No not that.” Fahrenheit blushed inordinately, what was  _up_ with her? Shuffling her feet she took a deep breath and closed her eyes. “I wasn’t as drunk as you.” Hancock let out a single low laugh. “Sister from what I remember you were –“ she cut him off again. “That’s just it Hancock you can  _barely_ remember anything. I was just _pretending_ to be that drunk.” Her lip was trembling at this point, obviously from this delusional hangover she was suffering from Hancock assumed. “ I kept you drinking so I could.. When we eventually left, you didn’t realise and you were too drunk so I took you home and – “

 

There was a bang across the street as someone walked in through the gate. Hancock looked over quickly as some chick in a vault suit and sunglasses with a dog at her heel stood looking around. She holstered her shotgun – good – at least she knew the drill. Fahrenheit cleared her throat and Hancock tore his gaze from the mystery woman and glanced back at her. “Sorry sister, you were sayin’.” She ran her hand through the long side of her hair. This hangover was obviously making it hard for her to recall the previous night and Hancock was getting bored of the story. “Listen, let’s just forget it this time. I’ll go talk to Daisy’s and tell her –“ “NO!” Fahrenheit grabbed his arm as he turned away. As he glanced up he saw that scumbag Finn swanning towards the girl at the gate. _Fuck, not again_. The past few traders to enter Goodneighbor had been harassed by this dickwad not two steps in and despite good warning, here he was at it again.

 

“.. can’t go round without insurance.”

The newcomer looked him up and down, hand on her hip as the furry guardian at her side growled menacingly at Finn. It was clear she had it well trained and Hancock wondered where Finn got the balls to stand up to them, even if the girl did look a bit on the dainty side. Hancock knew better than to assume people were as dangerous as they did or did not look. Finn was obviously a lot more stupid than Hancock gave him credit for. Even if he could take the dog this chick looked like she at least knew how to defend herself, assuming that shotgun wasn’t just for show. She raised her eyebrow at Finn and shifted her weight to her other hip, making no attempt to reach for her weapon. “Hmm.. can I see some I.D.? I’m just not _convinced_ you’re an official insurance rep.” Hancock chuckled.  _Well, she's got guts that's for damn sure._ He watched as she tossed her hair back and a smirk drew the corner of her lip up. She obviously found herself as amusing as Hancock did. Her sarcasm clearly didn’t go down as well with Finn however who squared up to her. “Hand over everythin’ you got in them pockets or accidents start happenin’ to ya. Big, bloody, accidents.” _That's my cue_ , thought Hancock, as he straightened the collar of his duster. If there was any role he loved to play, it was the hero - it had got him laid more times than he could count and he certainly wouldn't mind a thank you bang from a creature with hips like those. Mm mm mm. Curves like those were about as common as a one headed bramin. Taking a step forward, he heard Fahrenheit’s sounds of protest behind him but held up a hand to wave her off. He’d had enough of this asshole and whatever she had to say could wait. Besides, this chick seemed interesting enough to get involved and he was dying to get a look behind those shades. Time to play.

 

He swaggered over as nonchalantly as he could manage, trying not to look at the woman in blue watching him, instead fixing his listless stare on Finn. “Woah, woah, woah, timeout. Someone steps through the gate the first time? They’re a guest. You lay off that extortion crap.” Finn turned to face Hancock as they stood level with each other, out the corner of his eye he saw the woman cock her head to the side as she watched the two of them square up. At least he had her attention, something which Hancock revelled in. Finn had a sneer on his face which wasn’t exactly an improvement. “What d’you care? She ain’t one of us.” He spat at the ground near Hancock’s feet. _Big, mistake_. Hancock only just managed to keep his cool and instead let out a short laugh as if he couldn’t care less. “No love for your Mayor, Finn?” He narrowed his eyes and his voice just enough to show Finn he wasn’t messing around. “I said, let her go.” While Hancock was surprised he didn’t tuck his tail and run immediately he made no show of it. He had clearly got some idea in his head that Hancock wouldn’t make good on his promise - something which Hancock was more than willing to rectify. “You’re soft Hancock. You keep letting outsiders walk all over us, one day there’ll be a new Mayor in town.” As if he didn’t already need an excuse to off this guy, that was it for him. Hancock decided he wasn’t going to humour him any longer. If it wasn’t today, it’d be tomorrow. In his peripheral he saw the chick’s hand twitch and hover over her shotgun – _aww was she about to jump in for him_? _He was so in there_ – but Hancock simply laughed at Finn’s remark. _Don't worry sister, I'll show you what I'm made of._ “Come on man, this is me we’re talking about. Let me tell you somethin’.” He leaned in to Finn as if to whisper something and the bozo stupidly fell for it. Hancock almost felt sorry for the idiot as he reached for his knife. He shot the mystery woman a quick glance and a cheeky wink as he spun the blade in his hand and dove it deep into Finn’s chest twice with lightning succession. Finn jerked and then stiffened as he pulled the knife back, earning a splutter of blood. Hancock wiped the blood off the blade on the collar of Finn’s shirt and then stepped aside as he slumped to the ground.

 

"Now why'd you have to go and say that, huh? Breakin' my heart over here." 

 


	2. The Game

The mystery woman peered at him over her shades before pushing them back. Hancock would be lying if he said it didn’t surprise him she didn’t immediately throw herself into his arms, but he also welcomed a challenge. Facing head on now, he got a good look at her. She had a figure that the wasteland would never tolerate, her somewhat slender frame - which her suit clung to perfectly - plumped out in all the right places, and her face was fresh and untouched by the harsh conditions. Her ashy blonde hair fell just below her shoulders and there was a hint of skin exposed around her neck area as her tight fitting suit wasn’t fully zipped up. Hancock imagined briefly what he would find if he pulled that zipper down just a little bit further. The amount of cleavage on show left too much to the imagination he decided. “You alright sister?” He watched as her lip curled back into a devilish grin, revealing perfect porcelain white teeth –  _damn, were those things real?_ “I’m fine, thanks for taking care of that guy.” She whistled in a downwards slide and the dog which had been poised for attack settled and wagged his tail. As if to test the waters for his mistress, he trotted over to Hancock who held out his hand for him to smell. He had came across a few tame dogs in his days and at least knew how tread around them if he didn’t want to lose a finger. The dog sniffed at his hand before wagging his tail and giving it a lick. Hancock took this as a pass and scratched the mutt’s head before it bounded back to the woman’s side, letting out a soft woof before sitting down. “He likes you.” She clarified.

 

Hancock dipped his head like the gentleghoul he was, but something told him he’d have to work this gal over a bit more to get his thank-you-fuck, though he was thankful for his canine wingman. He cleared his throat as she looked around at the buildings clearly not paying attention. “Don’t let that welcome taint your view of our little community.” Her attention suddenly snapped back to him, “So should my impression start before or after you stabbed that guy?” Fuck, so she _was_ listening. The corners of his mouth twitched downwards, did she not even appreciate what he just did? She stared at him before cracking another smile. “I appreciate it.” _Little minx, she was messing with him_. Hancock grinned back at this new playmate, who obviously had no idea who she was messing with. “Goodneighbors of the people for the people, you feel me?” She laughed in her throat and purred her response “I _feel_ you.” Her reply earned a smirk as well as a tingle in his balls. This chick was definitely going to take a lot more charm to bed, but he was now more than ever determined to add her to his notches.

 

“Might want to stop by one of our vendors,” Hancock gestured behind himself. “You look like you could use some armor.” The mystery woman frowned looking down at her suit. “What, don’t you like my outfit?” She spun around running her hands up her waist. Hancock’s eyes shot straight to her ass when she had her back to him – that perfect curve of the small of her back meeting her thick ass made him swallow, hard. He tried to tear his eyes away and back up when she faced him again. “There are special fibres in the suit. It’s bullet proof, laser proof, fire proof, you name it.” _Is it tear proof,_ thought Hancock, _cause those tits and ass look like they’re about to bust out that thing_. He quickly realised that despite his best efforts, his gaze had fallen to her chest rather than her face. He looked up and quickly realised she was smirking. _Busted._

 

“Like what you see?” Well she didn’t seem pissed which could only be a good sign. Hancock grinned slyly at her. “Don’t mind me, I’m just enjoying the view.” She tossed her hair back and put her hand on her hip. “They had spares if you’d like one.” His grin widened slightly, this verbal exchange tickling him more than most. “Thanks, but I think they leave too little to the imagination.” Though any imagination was too much when it came to her – what he wouldn’t give to know just what was going on under that blue suit. He winked at her and watched as she slowly bit her lip. He pictured himself biting it for her. “Besides, a ghoul’s gotta have his secrets.” Her lip was torn from between her teeth into a grin. He could tell she liked him, but not in the achingly desperate for a good ride of his dick way he wanted her to. He started to wonder if he was losing his touch and as if sensing the falter in his confidence, she clicked her fingers making the dog sit up abruptly and trot to her side. Had the fun finished already? He tried his best not to give in to the frown that threatened his face. He had been enjoying this little battle of wits, surely she couldn’t have grown tired of him already? His swollen ego deflated a little and he watched as she took a couple steps past him. Hancock caught a whiff of her scent in the air – smoke from the barrel of her shotgun mixed with a more delicate airy smell he couldn’t quite put his finger on. She stopped and turned to face him, he wondered if she heard him smelling her and was about to call him out for being a creep. “Being the Mayor, do you think you could point me in the direction of the better bar in town? I could use a stiff one.” _I'll give you a stiff one._ Hancock cleared his throat. Those words had almost actually escaped his lips. “Third Rail, just ‘round the corner there,” He pointed in it’s direction. “Tell the guy on the door – Ham – that I sent you.” She turned to face him, the sun bouncing off her shades. “That get me a discount?” _Woman after my own heart_. Hancock laughed. The game was still on, at least until someone got the final word. “No sweetheart it gets you _in_. Gotta keep the riff raff out.” He winked at her and she smirked back. “And yet, here you are.” She turned smugly and walked off, leaving Hancock with his jaw hanging open. The final word was most certainly hers, and he couldn’t even begrudge her for it – he was far too impressed. A smile broke out as she called over her shoulder. “If I see you in there I’ll buy you a drink!”

 

 

Hancock watched as she waltzed past Fahrenheit – who for some reason was glaring at her – and rounded the corner into the next street. _What a fucking woman_. He bounded over to his bodyguard, buzzing from the whole ordeal, who was still glaring in the mystery woman’s direction. “Easy Fahr, I dunno if you heard any of that but she’s cool.” Fahrenheit whipped around to face him. “I heard everything boss. Seems like you’re pretty taken with that little damsel in distress.” She used her fingers to emphasise that last bit and rolled her eyes. Hancock ignored her sarcasm, pulling out his knife. “Fuck Fahr you got no idea, that woman was somethin’ else!” He studied the blade making sure he had wiped it clean enough before flipping and turning it in his hand. “Do you think she was impressed?” He made stabbing motions imitating the way he had killed Finn, who was currently lying in a bloody corpsy pool by the gate. Hancock made a mental note to call for the clean-up crew. “Why would you want to impress her? She didn’t look like anything special to me.” She crossed her arms over her chest. Hancock, however, was replaying their conversation over in his head, smiling at the best bits. “Then you ain’t got an eye for special sister cause that girl was the definition. _Phew_! Those curves, those lips.. Damn what I wouldn’t give to just strip her down and bend her ove..” Fahrenheit let out a huge huffing noise and turned on her heel before storming off. Hancock was too busy throwing the knife up and attempting to catch it behind his back to really care. He missed, by a long shot. “Oh hey,” he suddenly called after her, “what did you want to tell me earlier?!”


	3. The Search

Hancock paced about his office in The Old State House twirling an empty inhaler of jet before tossing it into the trashcan across the room. It hit the metal with a loud  **clang** and his brow furrowed. It had been a couple of hours since the girl in the vault suit had wandered off into town, and the entire time he had been considering how long he’d have to wait before ‘accidentally’ bumping into her would seem like an genuine coincidence, and not just him looking for her. Stretching one of his legs over the back of the sofa, he slumped down the other side into the cushion so he was sitting long-ways and grabbed a tin of mentats from the coffee table which sat in the middle of the room. These babies were always good in predicaments such as this. When he had to get something done, and get it done _right_. It, of course, being her. Usually he could just charm the panties off a woman, literally. One time a girl straight up dropped her panties and let him fuck her in the alley behind Hotel Rexford after about 5 minutes of flirting at the bar. He wasn’t even sure if he had even paid for her drink or not.. A smirk twitched his face. Fond memories, but antics like that were below him now. In his younger days sure, any sex was good sex. These days, he wasn’t about to just dip into anyone. He had to consider that ghoulification wasn’t the only thing that could make your dick fall off. He popped a couple of the red pills in his mouth, swirling and savouring the sweet chalky texture foaming about his mouth before crunching down, his brain almost instantly buzzing from the kick. _Shit yeah_. Stuffing the tin in his pocket he jumped to his feet and headed for the door.

 

By now the sun had faded but not quite set, the temperature dropping at least a few degrees in its absence. Hancock could tell the difference but external conditions didn’t bother ghouls as much, the radiation kept their core at a steadily higher temperature if need be. He stood out onto the street and stretched, breathing in the fresh air before setting about filling his lungs with smoke. He pulled out his last cigarette and slipped it between his lips before patting his pockets down for his lighter. _Where was that son of a_.. He finally lifted it out one of his inside pockets. Flicking it open he cupped the flame and was about to light when he looked up and saw a familiar face about to disappear into The Memory Den.  _Nick Valentine._ What a guy! He and Hancock went further back than he cared to admit but he strangely hadn’t seen the guy in weeks. He flipped the lighter shut and stuffed it back into his inside pocket along with the unused cigarette.

 

“Hey, Nick!” Valentine’s swivelled around catching sight of Hancock and raised his hand in a greeting. Nick quickly ducked his head behind the door and spoke to someone before waving them on and shutting the door. “Ah, Hancock. How are ya?” They simultaneously gripped each others hand in a shake while delivering a hard pat on the back.” _Standard manly stuff._ “I’m just peachy, Nick. It’s been a while ain’t it? Where you been at?” The synth adjusted his fedora, looking noticeably uneasy. “Yeah, uh.. I got myself into a bit of a tricky situation actually.” Hancock’s brow shot up. Nick was a tough guy, could take care of himself, and certainly never put himself into any situation he wasn’t capable of handling. “That so..” He mumbled the words somewhat, hoping Nick would elaborate. “Let’s just say a job gone bad.” He cleared his throat. “Look, I’m in the middle of something right now. I got a client waiting inside, but how’s about I stop by The Third Rail later and we catch up over a drink? I’ll tell you all about it.” Hancock grinned. “Got a girl waitin’ Nickie boy?” Opening the door, Nick paused and looked at Hancock, “It’s always a dame, John,” before disappearing inside. Hancock shook his head and laughed. He and Nick were like best friends who openly disapproved of each other’s lifestyles. The synth criticised his excessive chem use and he couldn’t understand why Nick never just cut loose sometimes. Or, ever. He knew fine well when they met for this ‘drink’ later on, Nick would more than likely nurse a single glass of bourbon the entire time.

 

That reminded him.

 

The Third Rail.

 

The mystery woman.

 

Hancock spun around and headed off in the direction of the bar, hoping he hadn’t missed her. Maybe she had skipped town already. His pace quickened ever so slightly. When he got inside Ham was in his usual spot by the door. “Aft’noon boss.” He tipped his hat at Hancock who flipped him a spare cap he had in his pocket and clapping him on the shoulder before heading downstairs. The place was dead. Even for a dive bar who’s patrons drank all hours of the day, the place was fucking dead. Charlie was whirling about the tables giving them a wipe down and the only customers he could make out in the low light was a guy slumped over the bar, and a couple in a heated argument about whether or not Travis on the radio was gay. Hancock’s brow furrowed and he cursed himself for waiting so long as Charlie floated over to him. “Mayor ‘ancock, will it be your usual today?” Say what you will about robots, but this guy definitely knew how to serve a drink. Plus the cockney accent paired with a bowler hat tickled Hancock. “Not right now Chuck I’m lookin’ for somebody, maybe you’ve seen her?” He was hoping maybe at least Charlie had  _something_ Hancock could use to find her, a bartender is a fantastic source of information after all. “If it’s Magnolia you’re lookin’ for she don’t start for another hour.” “What? No-“ he had been making a conscious effort to avoid the singer for a while now. She was a great asset to the place as a lot of the customers were only there because of her, but since she had came onto Hancock – pretty hard he might add – he had been severely put off by her. Now, while confidence was not an unattractive quality, this broad had far too high an opinion of herself, and he knew that rejecting her would at least bring her down a peg. It didn’t stop her trying though. “I’m lookin’ for a new girl, on the short side, blonde hair, tight suit, might’ve been here earlier for a drink.” The Mr. Handy whirred on the spot for a second. “Can’t say I’ve seen her boss. Not in ‘ere anyway. Do you want me to keep an eye out?” Three robot eyes all pivoted to look at Hancock. “Yeah, yeah keep an eye. Nothin’ to worry about, just..” Hancock rubbed the back of his neck, unsure what to say. “I’ll be back in later anyway Chuck. If Valentine shows up his drinks are on me, you got that?” He turned to head back up the stairs, Charlie mumbling something about Nick never ordering anything anyway.

 

Back in The Old State House and Hancock was really finding himself at a loose end. He had dropped in to most of the vendors in town – excluding Daisy’s as she had closed early to take inventory – and no one had seen this girl. It was as if she had blew into town and then disappeared. Why would she have asked about a bar and then not go for a drink? He even checked in on Hotel Rexford in case she had ended up there but again, no one had seen her. Hunched over on the sofa with his elbows on his knees, Hancock buried his head into his hands. He was about to decide that he must have just gone batshit crazy and just hallucinated this dream woman when the crash of a door slamming from downstairs and the sound of thick boots stomping the staircase snapped his focus. He could tell it was Fahrenheit, nobody else walked with that much attitude around here. He watched as the guys on guard all scuttled off or avoided her gaze as she ascended the spiral staircase to his floor. She stormed into the room and dropped down into the couch opposite Hancock without even looking at him. “Game of chess?” She grumbled. Hancock’s brow shot so high he had to check the skin hadn’t ripped straight off. “Uh.. ‘scuse me?” She pulled the chessboard on the table closer to her and began setting the pieces up. “I said, do you want a game of chess.” Hancock squeezed his eyes shut and rubbed them with his thumb and forefinger. “Fahr, I ain’t got the time or patience, and I ain’t gonna ask again. Now what’s got your twat in a knot.” She stopped busying herself with the chessboard and huffed. “Well if your plan was to set up a tab so Valentine could spend all your caps buyin’ drinks for his buddies I guess that’s none of  _my_ business, is it?” His jaw dropped. “What?!” That didn’t sound like Nick: drinking, or.. having friends.. “Yup. Guess that’s not how you wanted to go about getting your little damsel a drink now was it.” Fahrenheit smirked at him when she looked up and saw the confused look on his face. “Wait.. what?” Hancock’s brain took a second to catch up. “Wait, are you talking about the girl in the vault suit from earlier?” His posture straightened. “You saw her with Nick?” She laughed out a sigh. “Oh yeah they were real comfy. Guess you’re out of the picture, and out of caps depending on how many rounds they had.” Her smirk broadened. Hancock stood up and made for the door, leaving Fahrenheit calling after him. “You’ll need my help if you’re goin’ to knock some heads.“ He yelled back from the staircase “Course not! I’m just gonna join the party.”


	4. The Drink

The Third Rail was a lot busier than before, most tables were full and Charlie was hovering about the bar serving three people at once. Hancock scanned the room quickly as he walked towards him. A lot of regulars, a few folk out having a good time, some neighborhood watch and.. There was a flash of yellow eyes. _Nick._ More importantly, a blonde sat talking to him with her back to Hancock. They were with a small group of people in the corner by the stairs. Hancock counted three others, two girls and a guy he was sure he had seen before. At first they looked like they were talking about something serious, before the woman suddenly waved her arms about and they all burst out laughing. Hancock’s jaw dropped. He didn’t even know Nick  _could_ laugh. He assumed he lacked the programming or something like that. As everyone calmed down, the blonde got up and turned towards the bar – it  _was_ her. Hancock watched as she picked her way through the crowd, turning a few heads as she went, to reach Charlie who floated over to her immediately. “Another round miss?” The woman beamed at him, her smile making Hancock’s gut flip. Without her shades, he could see the rest of her face clearly and it did  _not_ disappoint. Her cheekbones were defined, but not overly so, her eyes were clear and bright, contrasting with their dark and smokey lining. “Sure thing Charlie, how much is left?” The Mr Handy pulled out several beers and handed them to her. “Nonsense love, just let me know when you’re runnin’ dry.” She laughed and set off back to her corner, leaving Hancock stunned. Had she _hacked_ Charlie? He moved around the bar so he was in the robot’s line of sight. “Ah, Mayor ‘ancock. Welcome back!” “Save it Charlie. What gives? I never said I’d pay for all those drinks.” The robot beeped. “I dunno what you mean sir, the woman I just served ain’t gettin’ her drinks from _your_ tab.” A relief, if Hancock wasn’t starting to feel permanently confused. “She’s not?” “Nah course not. She asked for a tab instead of payment for clearin’ out your warehouses earlier. Pretty efficient too if you ask me.” Hancock blinked. “She took the warehouse job?” It had been on his list of ‘shit to find someone to do’ for months - clear out the scum setting about the stores in town - but no one was willing to take them on. No one, that is, except this chick. “Yeah, I got the ‘watch to check them out and they’re all good. She did one helluva job.” Hancock glanced over in her direction and watched as the two other women from the group got up and headed for the door together, the taller one with her arm around the other’s waist. “Thanks Charlie.” He bumped the bar top with his fist before making his way over to them.

 

As he approached the corner, Nick looked up and caught his eye. “Ah, Hancock, join us why don’t you.” Standing to greet him, he gestured to the other two in his party. “This is MacCready. Best gun in the Commonwealth.” _That was it._ He knew he had seen him before, the guy was in town looking for work. He nodded at Hancock who returned the action. “And this is –“ “Oh, we’ve met.” The woman stood and turned around to face Hancock who gave her a playful grin. “Well hey there sister. It’s good to see you again.” Smiling back at him she winked, “Came to take me up on that drink?” and held out one of the unopened beers which he took. “Somethin’ like that.” Nick raised an eyebrow at the two of them. “Well.. have a seat.”

 

Hancock sat beside Nick so he was looking at the chick head on. She was sitting legs crossed in front of her, leaning back into the armchair, eyes fixed on him. “Now Nick, when you said MacCready was the best gun in the Commonwealth..” Valentine chuckled. “Excluding you of course.” The merc kid squeaked his disagreement. “You really think so?” The three of them laughed. “OK, ok,” the synth held up his hands, “Until you two are out in the field together I suggest we avoid that touchy subject.” Hancock got the feeling seeing the two of them compete would be quite the show. Although if he were a betting ghoul, something about this woman’s mien would have his caps on her. She caught his eye and ran her finger along her bottom lip. “What about you Mayor, any good with your weapon?” She cooked her head to the side, waiting for him to accept the challenge. He chuckled. “Sister, I didn’t get to where I am today without knowing how to handle myself.” If shameless flirting was what it was going to take, he was game. Unfortunately, they had an audience, MacCready chimed in. “Yeah no joke. Hancock’s the coolest ghoul in the Commonwealth."

 

_Thanks kid.  
_

 

“This guy’s of the people for the people!” She raised her eyebrow at that, oh brother. “Is that so..” Her voice purred through a smirk like a kitten. “So, Mayor.. it’s fair to say you’re a giver?”

 

Nick cleared his throat. “Anybody got a spare smoke?” The other two shook their heads while Hancock fumbled around his pockets. Finally he pulled out his abandoned cigarette from before, split in two. “Sorry Nickie.” The synth held up his hand. “No need. The machine upstairs is busted, you know where I could find another?” MacCready piped up. “Hotel Rexford’s got one in their bar just across the road. “Perfect, why don’t you show me.” Nick got to his feet and waited as the kid paused for a second, glancing at the woman as if hesitant to leave her, before standing and leading to the stairs. “Won’t be long.”

 

Hancock watched them disappear and then relaxed in his seat, his eyes fixed on the woman opposite him. She took a sip of her beer and he suddenly wished he had popped a couple more mentats. “So, how are you enjoying Goodneighbor sweetheart?” He tried his best to keep his tone smooth but wondered if she had noticed the slight waver. Though, if she had noticed, she made no indication. “It’s certainly my kind of town.” She smiled at Hancock who returned the favour, raising his bottle. “I suppose I should thank you for a job well done.” “Well now, your caps already did that.” She winked at him and finished her beer, dropping the bottle on the table between them. He grinned. “Guess there’s not much point in me offering to buy you a drink then, huh?” He knocked the rest of his own beer back, not taking his eyes off her. He didn’t want to miss any tell tale signs in her expression although so far, she had been pretty hard to read for certain. She shrugged slightly. “I could do with something a little stronger, if you’re game.” Her eyelashes fluttered which made Hancock’s stomach jump, or maybe it was the lack of food colliding with the cheap alcohol. He grinned. “I’m down to play.”

Hancock stood waiting patiently for Charlie to finish serving a group of people, his eyes still glued to the woman in the corner. She ran her fingers through her hair, lifting it up off her neck to fan at herself. It was probably roasting in here, too many bodies driving the temperature up. Hancock imagined peeling that tight suit off her and dragging his tongue slowly over her skin, licking and tasting the sweat. There was a twitch in his pants. Charlie finally handed him a bottle of vodka with two glasses and Hancock headed back over. “Too hot for you, sister?” He placed the glasses on the table and poured a measure into each before sitting down. She lifted one of the glasses and knocked it back. “Don’t worry, I’m sure I can handle it.” Hancock watched as she took the other glass, a smile spread over his face as she downed that too and smirked at him. He winked. “Only if you ask nicely, sweetheart .”

 

“So..” He filled both glasses and pushed one across the table, which she took. “Are you gonna tell me your name?” Hancock watched as she squinted at him, possibly considering this for a moment. Finally she smiled and took a sip from her glass. “Now where’s the fun in that?” He tried to hide the amusement on his face. This girl wanted to make things as tricky as possible for Hancock, and he was loving it. “Hmm.. How about I just call you, Blue?” She finished her drink and held the glass out for him to refill. “Let’s me guess, because of the suit? Try again. I want a good name.” He deliberated for a moment while he filled her glass before drinking and filling his own. “OK, how about Sugar? No! Wait.. _Candy_!” She scrunched her face. “That sounds like a stripper name.” Hancock laughed. “Well if the shoe fits..” Her disgruntled face turned into feigned shock making him grin wider. “How dare you!” He held up his hands apologetically. “You’re right, you’re right.. There’s no way you could be a stripper.” Dodging the empty beer bottle aimed at his head, he couldn’t help but crack up as she glared at him, trying not to laugh herself. “Oh, you don’t think I could be if I wanted to?” He sat back up, fixing his hat. “There’s no shame, sister. I’m sure it’s not as easy as it looks.” He smirked, enjoying the feeling that he was getting under her skin a little. She stood up, downing her fourth drink, before placing the glass on the table and making her way over to Hancock. He watched her sit on the couch next to him, pressing herself against him. “You don’t think I could do it?” Her sudden proximity threw Hancock completely, his words catching in his throat. “I, uh..” She placed her hand on his cheek and dragged her fingers down his jawline, their faces inches apart. Hancock felt her hand slide down his chest and then press firmly into him as she pulled herself over to straddle his lap. "Don’t underestimate me Mr Hancock.” He grinned. “Do you think you could call me Mr Mayor?”


	5. Chapter 5

“Have we interrupted something?”

The girl straddling Hancock turned while he had to crane his neck around her to see who spoke. Nick was standing at the bottom of the stairs, MacCready beside him with his jaw hitting the floor – Hancock felt a sense of satisfaction from that.  
She slid off his lap, the loss of contact bothering him more than he wanted to admit, taking place on the sofa beside him. He made no attempt to hide the smugness from his face as he propped his arms along the back of the couch behind him. “Oh hey guys, don’t mind us.” Nick raised an eyebrow. “Would you like us to leave you two alone?”  
_Yes._  
Hancock grinned, “What, and miss the show?”  
“That won’t be necessary Nick.” The woman stood and brushed past them. “Thanks for the drinks boys.” Hancock sat up, he wasn’t prepared for the fun to be over – why was she bailing now? Was she was hinting she wanted to get out of there? Maybe he should offer to set her up for the night.  
“Have you got someplace to stay?”  
He cursed MacCready for getting the word in first. She stopped at the bottom of the stairs. “I’ll check Rexford – hopefully they’ll have a room.”  
“Drop in on The State House if you’re stuck, sweetheart.” He was passed the point of being ashamed at how quickly that came out. She caught his eye and smirked. “In your dreams, _sweetheart_.” As she started up the stairs he called after her. “I’ll be awake if you want me!”

 

He tossed back his last drink as Nick and MacCready sat down but could feel the synth’s questionable gaze. “Say whatever you’re dying to say Nick.” He sat his glass down and looked up at Valentine’s raised brow. “I don’t know what you mean.”  
Hancock laughed in his throat. “Course not. What is it, you guys not approve of my little interaction with that hot piece of ass?”  
The sound of a chair scraping and MacCready was on his feet, taking a step towards Hancock. Hancock barely flinched as Valentine stood, putting a hand on MacCready’s chest, and mumbled something to try diffuse his anger as the merc glared at Hancock. “Watch your mouth!” Hancock grinned. “You tellin’ me you don’t wanna hit that?”  
“She is _not_ just a piece of ass.”  
Nick gestured for MacCready to sit and he reluctantly took his seat. Hancock held up his hands. “I didn’t mean to insult your friend there, I was merely pointing out one of her excellent qualities – of which I assume there are numerous.” He stood and walked around the table. “Now how about another round on me, huh? To show there’s no hard feelings.” He held out his arms grinning at the two men. Nick spoke first. “Sure, why not.” He nodded and pointed at him, then turned his attention back to MacCready who was studying Hancock.  
“..alright, fine.”  
Hancock clapped his hands together. “Right, two minutes.” He pushed through the crowd back to the bar and signalling Charlie, told him to take over a few more drinks to the table, before slipping around the other side of the room, up the stairs, and out the door.

 

Hancock slammed the door of The Old State House shut and slumped up the stairs, ignoring the member of the watch who tried to speak to him. As he got to his floor he met Benny, the guard on post by his door. “Hey boss –“ Hancock held up his hand. “Not tonight Benny.”  
“Yeah but, boss-“ Hancock glared at him, he was in no mood for any more Mayor shit tonight. After having slipped away from The Third Rail to Hotel Rexford, only to find exactly no trace of the girl in the blue suit, he was embarrassed if anything and more than a little fed up. As he half-heartedly kicked the door of his office open and wandered over to his chem stash, he cursed himself for acting so stupidly. What was he doing running around town after this girl like a God damn fool. He flicked open his box of med-x, and grabbed a needle kit before rolling up his sleeve to set about finding a vein.

“This a bad time? 

Hancock almost broke the needle off in his arm as he startled and turned to face the voice - the girl in blue stood leaning against the wall with her arms folded, a smirk on her face.  
_Fuck, so much for the security in this place._  
He tossed the needle and tore his sleeve down. “What’re you doin’ here?” He cringed at the failed attempt at keeping the surprise out of his voice. She feigned hurt.  
“I thought you’d be happy to see me. You did invite me after all. Said you’d be awake if I _wanted_ you.” Pulling herself from the wall she swanned over to Hancock, the twitch in his pants betraying the forced scowl on his face. If he was truthful, his heart was beating out his chest. He wanted this woman on a deep and animalistic level and a very large part of him wished he would just tear that blue suit off, but the fact she had been so illusive until now had seriously bruised his ego.  
“Your invitation expired sweetheart, hit the road.” Hancock could barely believe his own ability to get those words out. The last thing he wanted was for her to leave, but he was determined not to fall over himself either just because she showed up on his doorstep. If she wanted to play, she’d have to take the lead. 

“But Mayor, I’ve got nowhere else to go. You wouldn’t put a helpless girl out on the street now, would you?” She gazed up at him, eyes wide as she stroked her hands up the lapels of his duster.  
_What a little flirt._  
Hancock smirked. “Somethin’ tells me you ain’t helpless sister.” He gritted his teeth as her deft hands slipped in and traced over his ribs through his shirt, the delicate tickle threatening before they slid into the band of his belt. He tilted his head and looked down, then up at her. She met his gaze, biting her lip.  
_Classic move._  
“Maybe not, but I could still use a warm bed for the night.”  
He sighed. “Hmm, ‘fraid I don’t have one of those spare.”  
“Who said anything about spare? I’m sure we could always share yours.” She pressed herself into him. Hancock growled in his throat. “If you’re in my bed, sister, it ain’t to sleep.”


End file.
